It was inevitable.
Thirteen years to the day since Leicester City paid £1m to Fleetwood Town for Jamie Vardy, he ended his Foxes career with a goal – his 200th for the club.
As the ball rolled past Alex Palmer, those inside King Power Stadium drew breath in expectation before exploding in celebration for a Vardy goal one final time.
He raced towards the Ipswich fans, placing a finger over his lips, before raising the corner flag – leaving no-one in any doubt this was his day.
“I missed a couple before that but once JJ [James Justin] put me through there I was never going to miss it,” Vardy said.
“Obviously getting the dogs’ abuse from the away fans up there, there was only one place I was going.”
A 500th and final appearance could not have gone much better, and Leicester’s relegation – which has come during a dismal season – was briefly forgotten as Vardy dominated the narrative as he so often has.
A Premier League title, an FA Cup triumph, a Champions League quarter-final, a Europa Conference League semi-final, two Championship titles. He wrote himself into Leicester folklore like no-one could have expected.
“It’s been amazing, it’s been a rollercoaster, it really has,” he said after Leicester’s 2-0 home win.
“But the good thing is there’s been way, way, way more highs [than lows] and I thank everyone. I never thought we’d be in the Champions League, we’d win the league, and we’ve all been there for a reason.”
Now, with the Champions League a fading memory, there are fractures at Leicester, supporters unhappy with the running of the club after a second relegation in three seasons, but Vardy has been a lightning rod to unite and drive the club forward in his 13 years of service.
The 38-year-old former England striker will play on elsewhere and the Foxes need to find a replacement, but moving on from Vardy will be hard.
“They’ll be fine, they’ll be fine,” said Vardy when asked about how Leicester go forward without him.
“We’ve got a good squad and we’ve got all the youngsters coming through as well. I’m glad I’m not them, because football is a killer mentally and I couldn’t do it all again if I’m honest.
“But I’ve enjoyed every minute of it and I look forward to keeping an eye on the club I love.”
